The Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center http://flvbeoc.org/ has activated its damage assessment survey for all businesses to register the impact from the storm http://flvbeoc.org/index.php?action=bda Please help us get this information to the local businesses so that they can register their damages and help the state officials determine the extent the Emergency Bridge Loan program needs to cover. The Governor intends to activate the program this week. The State Office will send a press release once the Governor makes his available. Stay tuned.

The Governor issued Executive Order 16-205 http://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/SLG-BIZHUB16083018380.pdf declaring a state of emergency for Alachua, Baker, Bat, Bradford, Brevard, Calhoun, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie , Duval, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Orange, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Suwannnee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, and Wakulla Counties. Although Manatee and Sarasota Counties were not included, please have area businesses complete the survey as well.

Again, at this point we need the businesses to register their damages by completing the survey http://flvbeoc.org/index.php?action=bda – share this link with your are stakeholders (chambers, business groups, etc).

For those businesses interested in applying for a loan will need to visit http://www.floridadisasterloan.org/. Please know that until the program is activated, the application form will not be available.